Ankoran
The Ankoran are a species of blue homosaurians native to the planet Usse. They are infamous for the Ankoran Covenant, a highly religious empire in which all Ankoran are citizens of, and their extremely devout lifestyles.They are typically seen as a peaceful species, though zealous in nature. Ankoran are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they are letting on. Biology Physiology Approximately two meters tall, Ankoran take the form of bipedal reptilians, characterised by a hardened shell on their head, and two horns that protrude from the back of the skull, not too dissimilar to a dragon's horns from Human mythology. Strongly muscled, and slightly hunched, they originate from a world where they were one of the smallest species, and thus evolved as scavengers capable of fleeing at a moment's notice. This can still be seen in their leg-structure across the species with powerful musculature in the lower body. Ankoran live for roughly three hundred and fifty years. Vision The Ankoran eye is capable of visually detecting infrared wavelengths of light, providing Ankoran with a crude form of thermal vision in addition to the ability to view red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Ankoran are incapable of visually detecting purple wavelengths of light, referring to the colour as ultrablue. Any purple colouration viewed by an Ankoran is determined to be blue according to the species. Their capability to visually perceive heat signatures has led to Ankoran becoming excellent trackers, able to detect radiant heat left behind by targets, or to spot a danger despite opaque barriers. Ankoran can be confused by sufficiently hot objects, creating an infrared fog which they struggle to navigate. Due to the inability to see purple colours, many Ankoran often undertake surgeries to provide them with the capacity to view the colour. Reproduction Ankoran are a sexually reproducing species of egg-layers in which the gender of young is determined by ZW-chromosomes. In contrast to the XY sex-determination system and the X0 sex-determination system, where the sperm determines the sex, in the ZW system, the ovum determines the sex of the offspring. Males are the homogametic sex (ZZ), while females are the heterogametic sex (ZW). The Z chromosome is larger and has more genes, like the X chromosome in the XY system. Unlike many reptiles, Ankoran do not possess a cloaca. Ankoran females will not lay eggs until they have been fertilised and do not posses a menstrual cycle. Instead, single-cell eggs are continuously produced and stored in the ovaries until mating, at which point a single egg will be released, then replaced. Should fertilisation fail, the egg will not attach within the womb and will instead be flushed from the body post-courtship. Should an egg be fertilised, it will begin cell-separation, and develop both a shell and embryo inside of it. From the time an egg is laid, it will take an average of one year for the offspring to fully develop. Upon hatching, the young Ankoran will already be capable of consuming meat, and do not require a liquid diet. Psychology Evolving on a planet where they sat at the bottom of the food chain, the Ankoran have developed to prefer large social groups, and to be overtly cautious around matters concerning unknowns. Given that most Ankoran prehistorically would end up eaten by predators, they seem eager to run from a fight when placed in danger, and generally favour escape in a flight or fight response. Due to their cautious nature, Ankoran seem appear slow when making decisions, spending hours or even days weighing the pros and cons of a particular matter, such as when deciding on whether or not to leave a hiding space. Many will patiently wait for exactly the right moment to leave, when all odds are in their favour. They typically view less-cautious races as impulsive and action-prone. Ankoran hold disdain for impulsive individuals of their own kind. This attitude is not typically directed towards non-Ankoran, as many think it is rude and disrespectful of alien cultures. Diet Ankoran are primarily meat-eaters, with a dietary composition of approximately 80% meat, and 10% fish products, though the species is capable of consuming non-meat animal-products such as eggs and milk, which make up the last 10% of a typical Ankoran's diet. Eating approximately half their body-weight each day, Ankoran are capable of digesting toxic, poisoned, or rotting meats with little issue, due to their powerful digestive system. History The origins of the Ankoran species can be trace back hundreds of thousands of years to the age of the Precursors. Often referred to as a "world of giants" by natives and aliens alike, the Ankoran homeworld, Usse, provided the Precursors with an opportunity to test the survivability of a small sapient species, an act often cited as the Precursor equivalent of artistic irony. The Ankoran were thus uplifted to a degree of sapience thanks in part to genetic modification that allowed the proto-Ankoran species to evolve into what is now considered the Ankua genus' pivotal achievement. The tribes that began to slowly form as this 'sapience gene' spread throughout the species would quickly come to view the Precursors as gods, an idea that slowly evolved into the modern Ankoran faith. This was facilitated by the collapse of the Precursor civilisation and near-extinction of the Precursors shortly after the rise of the earliest Ankoran civilisations, which allowed their nature and number to become blurred over the subsequent centuries. Post-Precursors, the Ankoran would struggle to evolve into space, always hampered by their small size in comparison to Usse's dangerous and comparatively massive size. This consequently caused the Ankoran to remain stuck in a tribal-era like civilisation for thousands or more years than most other sapient species, limited by space and predation. Culture As a species, the Ankoran are a devout and faithful race who take pride in their religion and the evidence to support it as truth. Uplifted by an enigmatic and forgotten race of precursors, the Ankoran proclaim the role of the progeny to this mysterious race, and dig to understand the secrets of their makers. Traditionally, Ankoran spread their influence through cultural domination and intellectual superiority. They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, knowing that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably influence the existing culture. They tend toward communal, consensus attitudes among themselves too: many prefer to live in shared spaces aboard starships even if there are alternatives available. Religion Ankoran are known to take religious matters seriously, upholding a strict schedule of prayer. Ankoran believe in and follow an obligatory religious duty for every man, woman and child. Prayer is seen as a physical, mental, and spiritual act of worship to the Ankoran that is observed five times every day at prescribed times. The worshiper starts standing, bows, prostrates themself, and concludes while sitting on the ground. During each posture, the worshiper recites or reads certain verses, phrases and prayers. Failure to attend prayer is seen as a grave disrespect, although not sinful in itself. Social Structure Ankoran group themselves into large family units, and are an social species. Often the matriarch leads the house, and is expected to provide income for the family, while the patriarch cares for the dwelling and young. Typically, Ankoran will bear a forename and family name. Category:Species